Gridley High School cuts tennis team over low participation and costs | News

GRIDLEY, Calif. – Gridley High School will no longer be offering tennis as a sport starting next school year.

The decision to cut the tennis teams was influenced by low student participation and inadequate court conditions.

The tennis program had the lowest participation among sports at Gridley High, with fewer than 20 students on the roster for the past four years.

The school’s athletic director mentioned a significant turnover in coaching staff.

“We’ve hired a tennis coach for the girls program two times within a month before school even starting and one was a week before. And we only have one senior who graduate who’s played four years. We’ve had two kids who’ve only played two years on the boys’ team, so it is a lot of turnover, and it just isn’t as sustainable as a lot of the other programs are,” said the athletic director.

Repairing the tennis courts would cost at least $50,000, which is not feasible within the school’s budget.

Although the tennis teams are being cut, the school plans to collaborate with other high schools to allow students to practice and compete in singles or doubles matches.

For students interested in tennis, the focus will be more individual-based since the school did not generate revenue from tennis matches, which were free to attend.

Rising costs for all sports are due to demands for higher pay from officials, the addition of athletic trainers, and increased security during games and events.

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